Demographic Data and Social Spatial Justice:

Uses, Methods and Possibilities

Ranu Basu Department of Geography &

York Centre for Education and Community (YCEC)

March 6th, 2012

Towards the Use of Demographic Data for Educational Equity Workshop

Agenda towards Social Spatial Justice in Education

• demographic data especially in a heterogeneous society is complex and often necessitates going beyond schools and into the community;

• local data is often abstract data but becomes more meaningful with experiential data (i.e. principals, teachers, parents);

• reflexivity about the underlying processes and structural barriers is crucial to contextualize results;

• critical data analysis fosters social justice and leads to

transformative change.

TorontoStar, Feb 16th, 2012. A22

Dangerous Causalities…

Source: Toronto Star, 2009

REPRESENTATIONS OF SPACE: STIGMATIZE, CONTAIN, LABEL NEIGHBOURHOODS

Access and Equity • Social Capital and Civic Agency in Schools:

school closures and performance Basu, R. (2004) ‘A Flyvbjergian perspective of Public Elementary School Closures in Toronto: A

Question of ‘Rationality’ or ‘Power’? in Environment and Planning: C, Government and Policy, Volume 22: 423-251

Basu, R. (2005) ‘Geo-surveillance through the Mapping of ‘Test’ Results: An Ethical Dilemma or Public Policy Solution?’ in ACME An International E-journal for Critical Geographies, Volume 3(2): 87-111.

• ‘Integration’ through Diversity Basu, R. (2011) 'Multiculturalism through Multilingualism in Schools: Emerging Places of

'Integration' in Toronto', in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 101, Issue 6, pp. 1307-1330.

Problématique: Rationale for School Closures

Objectives

• Provide a conceptual framework to measure conditions conducive for social capital formation within neighbourhood schools [DATA A]

• Examine how social capital varies by the underlying neighbourhood structure [DATA B]

• Note its relationship with school closure decisions + performance

TOTPOP Total PopulationPROPAPT Total Apartments/Total number of DwellingsPROPSD Total Single Detached Homes/Total number of Dwellings

PROPLP Total Number of Lone Parents/Total number of DwellingsPROPSEN Total Seniors (over 65 years of age)/Total Population

PRRECIMM Total number of Recent Immigrants (1991-1996)/Total PopulationPRNCNCIT Total Non Canadian Citizens/Total PopulationPRVISMIN. Total Visible Minorities/Total Population

PROV25UN. Unemployed Population 25 years and over/Population 25 years and overPR15CHUN. Unemployed Population 15 years and over with children/ Total population over 15

PRTIMECC. Population spending over 30 hours on unpaid childcare/Total population over 15PRTIMESC. Population spending 5-10 hours a week on unpaid senior care/Total population over 15

PRLOWEDU. Population without Secondary School Certificate/Total population over 15HIGHEDU. Total Population with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher/Total population over 15

PRMOVERS. Total Movers/Total PopulationPREXTMIG. External Migrants/Total Migrants

INHHLWGT Average Household IncomeAVDWVLWG Average Value of Dwelling

PROPRENT Total Renters/Total DwellingsRNTOV30P Population paying over 30% of Income in Rent PaymentsOWNOV30P Population paying over 30% of Income in Mortgage PaymentsPRDWMJRP Dwellings in need of Major Repairs/Total Dwellings

DATA B: CENSUS (Adv/Dis)

Aggregating EA data to the School District Level

SD Boundary

EA Boundary

EA Centroid

SOCIAL CAPITAL: Putnam’s Indicators:

EDUCATION: Epstein’s framework:

•1 Basic Obligation of Families

•2 Basic Obligation of Schools

•3 Involvement at School

•4 Involvement in Learning activities at home

•5 Involvement in Governance and Advocacy

•6 Collaboration with Community Organizations.

Institutional Performance Indicators- 12 variables

Local Government Performance Indicators-15 variables

Traditions of Civic Involvement (1860-1920)- 5 variables

•1 Electoral turnout, 1919-1921

•2 Local Associations founded before 1860

•3 Strength of Socialist and Popular Parties, 1919-1921

•1 Day care centers

•2 Family Clinics

•3 Local health unit spending

•1 Communal sports facilities implem.

•2 Communal libraries implementation

•3 Trash Collection Implementation

Parent-School Cooperation -

6 groups

Civic Capacities within Schools – Spatial Framework

Intramural Parental Neighbourhood Community Extrinsic

Sh1 Sh2 Ps1 Ps2 Ps3 Psg Ns1 Ns2 Ns3 Es1 Es2 Es3

Data A: from the schools – local knowledge

Intramural

Home Promoted Activities Seamless Day

French

Homework Clubs

Music/Dance

International Language Classes

Sport Teams

Family Literacy

Parenting Centres

Early Literacy Programs

Family Services, Shelters

7 categories

Block Parents

8 categories

Sh1 Sh2

Parent Involvement

Ongoing Occasional Fundraising Governance

classroom

library

office

Lunchroom, breakfast, snack

Sporting events

Field Trips

Special Events

bbqs

Music

Projects

lunches

funfair

Contribute resources

Sports

17 categories 9 categories 11 categories 3 categories

No.of Council Members

Sales

Ps1 Ps2 Ps3 Psg

Core Volunteers

Peripheral Vol.

Neighbourhood Involvement

Locales

School as Comm.Cetre

High School Students

Intergenerational Activities

Salvation Army

Environmental Comm.

Residents/Social Services Business Links

Local Businesses

Grocery Stores

Banks

Restaurants

Walmart

Child care Centre

Library

Community Centre

Hospital

Church

11 categories 29 categories 41 categories

Ns1 Ns2 Ns3

Extrinsic Involvement

Collaborations

Adult ESL

Reception for New Immigrants African Heritage Month

Easter Seal: Disabilities

HEADS: head start

Settlement Transitions Political Organizations

Ward Meetings

Local Pol.Action

Govt. Representative

Clothing exchange

Charity

Food Bank-Drive

Activities with other Elementary Schools

Kids-help

9 categories 14 categories 5 categories

Ministry

Neighbourhood Ass

Es1 Es2 Es3

Empirical I

MULTIPLE REGRESSIONS (11) : Civic Agency (f) Neighbourhood Structure Ps1 ƒ (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Ps2 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Ps3 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Sh1 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Sh2 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Ns1 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Es1 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Es2 ƒ….. (totpop, prrecimm, prlowedu……..)

Variations in Civic Participation by Neighbourhood Structure

• Neighbourhood Density does matter- in general, higher densities less likely to be involved ($- costlier to operate; also free rider problem-Olson); with the exception of fundraising activities ($$)

• Parental activities in schools more likely to attract those with high education levels and less likely to attract those with low education levels and low income (e.g. dwellings in need of major repair used as proxy)- Bondi, Rose, Delhi and Ianuario.

• Low income renters (renters with affordability problems) are well rooted in their local places. In Toronto, due to shortage of affordable housing, renters are less likely to move. Transaction cost = Owners.

• Extrinsic activities and School Based Activities well used by many marginal groups (e.g.unemployed with children; renters with affordability problems; visible minorities; non Canadian Citizens).

• Most vulnerable groups- recent immigrants and neighbourhoods with low education levels.

Performance and School Based Social Capital

• Schools with greater fundraising activities (Ps3) are also schools where the reading, writing and math performances are above provincial standards. Increased fundraising often translates into greater resources in the classroom.

• Schools with links to more locales (Ns1: child care centres, libraries, community centres) are more likely to perform above the provincial standards in all areas. This again suggests that resource rich schools are able to offer conditions more conducive for academic performances.

• Schools which offer (Sh1) support services (parenting centres, shelters, family literacy) continue to be vulnerable.

Empirical II

Logistic Regression Examining: SchCl98 = ƒ (Rationality and Power)

Efficiency Variables used to Rationalize School Closures AGE Age of the school COUNTALL Presence of other schools in the school district COUNTELM Presence of other elementary schools ENRO Enrolment levels CAP Capacity relative to enrolment

Underlying Latent Power and Organization Structure PS1 Sum of activities related to regular parental involvement Ps2 Sum of activities related to occasional parental involvement Ps3 Sum of all fundraising activities Ns1 Sum of all links to ‘locales’ Ns2 Sum of all the presence of outside/community involvement Ns3 Sum of all presence of business involvement Es1 Sum of all collaboration with other schools Es2 Sum of all settlement transitions Es3 Sum of all links to political organizations Sh1 Sum of all activities at home promoted by schools Sh2 Sum of all seamless day programs

Impact of School Closures on Neighbourhood based Social Capital

• Less Likely to Close

• Ps1: Ongoing Involvement**

• Ps3:Fundraising Act.

• Ns2: Links with Comm.Organizations

• Ns3: Links with Business

• More Likely to Close

• Es2:Settlement **

• Ps2: Occasional Inv.

• Ns1: Locales Present

• Sh1:At Home Support

• Sh2:Seamless Day Prg

• Es1:Collaborations

• Es3:Political Orgs.

How have schools maintained/redefined (or not) their roles as ‘sites of integration’? How are the geographies of these spaces constructed, fostered and transformed in Toronto public elementary schools?

‘Integration’ through Diversity

HL HL

HL

ESL

Unidirectional: Traditional Integration Model

Reciprocal: Inclusive Integration Model

Multifarious: Multilingual Integration Model

ESL Dominance of one language English (ESL) [dwindling of resources & eligibility] Learner [immigrant]

Dominance of one language, acceptance of another English (ESL) + Heritage Language Learner Learner [immigrant, single-ethnicity]

No dominance of any language English (ESL) + Heritage Language 1 + Heritage Language 2 + or Other Learner [immigrant or other]

ESL

HL

HL

Conceptualizing Spaces of ‘Integration’ through Multilingualism

Combining Multiple Data Sources

• Census

• Pamphlets and Brochures

• Ministry of Education

• Web sites

• Interviews

Rank Language Both_sum TDSB TCDSB Rank Language Both_sum TDSB TCDSB 1 CANTONESE 79 73 6 2 SPANISH 54 40 14 30 PERSIAN 3 3 0 3 MANDARIN 48 43 5 31 FARSI 3 3 0

4 ITALIAN 48 4 44 32 AMHARIC –Eth 3 3 0

5 TAMIL 46 43 3 33 TWI (Ghana) 2 1 1 6 PORTUGUESE 30 12 18 34 JAPANESE 2 2 0 7 VIETNAMESE 23 20 3 35 TIBETAN 1 1 0 8 ARABIC 22 19 3 36 SWEDISH 1 1 0 9 URDU 17 17 0 37 SWAHILI 1 1 0

10 GREEK 16 16 0 38 SINHALESE 1 1 0

11 KOREAN 13 13 0 39 PASHUTO –Rus 1 1 0

12 POLISH 11 2 9 40 OJIBWE 1 1 0 13 BENGALI 11 11 0 41 NEPALESE 1 1 0 14 BLACK_CULT 10 10 0 42 MARATHI 1 1 0 15 PUNJABI 9 9 0 43 MALTESE 1 0 1 16 SOMALI 8 8 0 44 MALAYALAM 1 0 1 17 DARI –Afghani 8 8 0 45 MACEDONIAN 1 1 0 18 SERBIAN 7 7 0 46 LITHUANIAN 1 0 1 19 GUJARATI 6 6 0 47 LAO –Thai 1 1 0 20 TURKISH 5 5 0 48 GREEK_CYPR 1 1 0 21 RUSSIAN 5 5 0 49 FINNISH 1 1 0 22 PILIPINO 5 0 5 50 EWE- Niger 1 1 0 23 ALBANIAN 5 5 0 51 EGYPTIAN 1 0 1 24 UKRAINIAN 4 1 3 52 CZECH 1 1 0 25 ROMANIAN 4 4 0 53 CROATIAN 1 0 1 26 HINDI 4 4 0 54 ARMENEAN 1 0 1 27 GERMAN 4 4 0 55 YIDDISH 0 0 church 28 BULGARIAN 4 4 0 56 HUNGARIAN 0 0 church 29 HEBREW 3 3 0 57 CHALDEAN 0 0 church

Many of the languages offered correspond to the top 20 linguistic group of refugee intake countries [Source: Multiple]

TCDSB 10 Languages

11 Languages - Spanish (40,14) - Cantonese (73,6) - Mandarin (43,5) - Italian (4,44) - Tamil (43,3) - Portuguese (12,18) - Vietnamese (20,3) - Arabic (19,3) - Polish (2,9) - Ukrainian (1,3) - Twi (1,1)

Total= 57 Languages (TDSB, TCDSB)

TDSB 36 Languages

Spaces of Integrative-Multiplicity

Type

ESL

Heritage/international Frequency

Percent

4 Medium Non 325 56.42 Unidirectional

5 Medium Medium 142 24.65 Multifarious

6 Medium High 68 11.81 Multifarious

7 High Non 14 2.43 Unidirectional

9 High High

10 1.74 High Multifarious

1 Non Non 8 1.39 None

8 High Medium 7 1.22 Multifarious

2 Non Medium 2 0.35 reciprocal

3 Non High 0 0.00 reciprocal

Re-imagining Spaces of Diversity……